The county was formed on April 1 1970, comprising the former counties of Aabenraa, Haderslev, and Tønder. On January 1 2007, the county will be abolished and become part of Region Syddanmark (i.e. Region South Denmark).

Short description of South Jutland

South Jutland is also known as Northern Schleswig (Danish: Nordslesvig, German: Nordschleswig). The name refers specifically to the southernmost 50 kilometers of the Danish part of the Jutland Peninsula that used to be a part of the former Danish Duchy of Schleswig (Danish: Slesvig), Danish fief under the Kings of Denmark.

Denmark lost the Duchy of Schleswig, as well as the Duchies of Holstein and Lauenburg, to Prussia and Austria in 1864 in the Second War of Schleswig. Following Austria's defeat in the Austro-Prussian War (1866), all three provinces were annexed to Prussia. Following the defeat of Germany in World War I, the Allied powers organised two plebiscites in Northern and Central Schleswig on 10 February and 14 March 1920, respectively. In Northern Schleswig 75 % voted for reunification with Denmark and 25 % for staying with Germany. In Central Schleswig the situation was reversed with 80 % voting for Germany and 20 % for Denmark. No vote ever took place in the southern third of Schleswig. On 15 June 1920, Northern Schleswig was officially reunited with Denmark.

Central Schleswig chose to remain with Southern Schleswig as part of Germany and is today a part of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein.

A small minority of ethnic Germans still lives in South Jutland, though far fewer than the Danish minority in Germany.

Major towns are: Haderslev (31,000 people), Sønderborg (30,000), Aabenraa (22,000) and Tønder (12,000).

Municipalities:Augustenborg municipality ;Bredebro municipality ;Broager municipality ;

Bov municipality ;Christiansfeld municipality ;Gram municipality ;Gråsten municipality ;

Haderslev municipality ;Højer municipality ;Lundtoft municipality ;Løgumkloster municipality ;Nordborg municipality ; Nørre-Rangstrup municipality ;Rødding municipality ;

Rødekro municipality ;Skærbæk municipality ;Sundeved municipality ;Sønderborg municipality ;Sydals municipality ;Tinglev municipality ;Tønder municipality ;Vojens municipality ;Aabenraa municipality.